WITH YOU TO THE DEATH
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: I'm going to take a brief break from H. Potter to dive into the world of the Hunger Games. How would the 3rd Quarter Quell have gone down if the plan to destroy the arena was not possible? Read to find out!
1. Day 1

**DAY 1**

Katniss Everdeen glanced wildly around her as the tube began to lift her up into the arena. Even though this was her second time going up this shaft, she had never gotten used to the feeling of it. To top it all off, she had just watched her stylist, Cinna, get beaten to a pulp.

She emerged at last, sunlight blinding her. When her eyes had finally adjusted, all she could see was water in every direction. One thought crossed her mind as she took in her surroundings: _This is no place for the Girl on Fire._

Katniss had just been an ordinary girl from District 12 until her younger sister Prim had been reaped for the Hunger Games the year before. Katniss had boldly volunteered in her place. Using her wits and skills as a huntress, she had become victor of the 74th Hunger Games along with district partner Peeta Mellark.

 _Peeta._ The young man who had helped her through the arena and was still alive because of her. The young man who was her pretend lover. The young man who would now die, along with 22 other previous Hunger Games victors, because of her.

No, that couldn't happen. She wouldn't let it and she was reminded of her chant: _Keep Peeta alive._ Katniss now searched frantically for him amongst the faces of the other victors. On her right was old Woof, District 8 victor. On her left, District 2 victor Brutus. He was motioning to District 1 victor Gloss on his other side. Katniss continued her search.

 _Where are you?_ She asked. _Where are you?!_ But she couldn't see Peeta. He must have been on a plate blocked by the Cornucopia, which was sitting on a small island in the middle of a miniature, salt-lake sea. Spokes of sand jutted out across the water toward the tribute pedestals, creating wedges that held two tributes each: Katniss and Woof in one, Brutus and Gloss in another, and so on. Katniss finally steeled her nerves and willed herself to be a player in the 75th Hunger Games, the 3rd Quarter Quell that reaped from the district's existing pools of victors (59 total out of history's 75). And now, one would be crowned the victor of Victors to halt the uprisings in the districts. _And the victor has to be Peeta_ , Katniss thought.

With that, the gong sounded, signaling the end of the 60 second waiting period. Katniss dove headfirst into the sea, and swam with all her might to the island. After a time, she pulled herself up onto the beach and sprinted down to the Cornucopia. Her peripheral vision told her that she was the first one there, so she had her pick of the supplies…which, when she got there, turned out to be weapons and nothing else.

She had just found a bow and arrows when a shift in the sand caused her to wheel around. There stood Finnick Odair, District 4 victor of the 65th Games, dripping wet and poised to strike with a trident.

He smiled and blinked in mock surprise. "You can swim too. Where did you learn that in District 12?"

"We have a big bathtub," Katniss retorted.

"You must," he laughed. He gestured to the tropical world around them. "You like the arena?"

"Not particularly. But you should. They must've built it especially for you," Katniss shot back with an edge of bitterness to her voice.

The grin did not fade from Finnick's face. "Lucky thing we're allies, right?" He flashed something across her line of vision, and as it caught the light, Katniss recognized it. The golden bracelet her mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, had worn throughout the lead-up to the Quell. At first, Katniss thought it was a trick. But, she then realized that Haymitch was sending her a message by choosing an ally of his own when she and Peeta had refused to. Oh, to hell with it.

"Right!" she snapped.

"Duck!" Finnick suddenly yelled. Katniss hit the sand as the trident whirred overhead. A sickening thud could be heard as it found it's target: the male victor from District 5, a drunk like Haymitch who had barely shown up for prep at the Training Center. Finnick pulled his weapon from the first kill of the Quell.

"Don't trust One and Two," he said flatly.

"Each take one side?" Katniss asked. He nodded and the pair darted around opposite sides of the pile. By this time she could see there was activity on the pedestals. Some tributes were swimming for the island, others had jumped into the water and flailed for the nearest spoke of sand strip and were now running, but many were still on the pedestals.

Katniss shot arrows at the Careers, who were now reaching the beach. District 2 victor Enobaria, winner of the 62nd Games, dodged it and re-entered the water. Gloss moved to do the same, but wasn't as lucky; an arrow got him in the thigh before he submerged.

"Do something about _that_ , would you?" asked Finnick. Brutus was now barreling toward them, his belt off and held in front of him as a sort of shield. Katniss shot at him, but the belt managed to deflect it; however, a purple liquid shot from the fabric, coating Brutus' face.

At last, Katniss could see Peeta. He was one of those tributes who still hadn't budged from his plate. _He can't swim_ , Katniss thought. So she made to go to him, dropping her weapons and preparing to dive in.

"No, I'll get him," said Finnick.

"I can," Katniss insisted, but Finnick just flashed her a smile. "Best not to strain yourself. Not in your condition." And he reached down and patted her abdomen.

 _Oh, I forgot, I'm pregnant_ , Katniss thought. Peeta had dropped that little bomb on her and all of Panem the night before at the interviews with Ceasar Flickerman. It was fake, of course, as was the belief that they were already married.

"Cover me," Finnick told her and he disappeared with a flawless dive. Katniss watched as he swam out to Peeta, who looked frightened and must've thought Finnick was swimming out to kill him. But Finnick showed Peeta the bracelet and when Katniss gave him a smile, he eagerly leapt into the water and allowed Finnick to tow him back in.

Katniss knelt on the strip as they drew near. She reached out a hand. Peeta grabbed it, hauled himself up and kissed her soundly on the lips.

"Hello again," he crowed. "We've got allies."

"Yes, just as Haymitch intended," Katniss said dryly.

"Remind me, did we make 'deals' with anyone else?"

"Only Mags, I think," Katniss replied. Finnick's district partner, who was the victor of the 9th Hunger Games and well into her 80's, was doggy paddling toward them. Other victors were now approaching the island and the Careers had regrouped. "Let's clear out," hollered Katniss. Finnick plucked Mags from the water and tossed her onto his back. Gripping his trident, the quartet fled from the Cornucopia.

* * *

The rest of the day was more eventful than Katniss could have ever imagined. Peeta had a brush with death when he ran into the force field surrounding the arena, causing Katniss to go momentarily into hysterics. Luckily, Finnick revived him with an advanced technique he called "CPR." The District 4 and 12 alliance set up camp halfway up the slope from the Cornucopia. They couldn't see anything below because of the dense jungle, but later in the day, 8 cannons sounded to signal the deaths. There weren't as many as last year's Cornucopia bloodbath, where roughly half of the tributes had died. Finally, a sponsor parachute appeared, which Peeta retrieved for them. It contained an odd device that Katniss later figured out was a spile. They used it to tap water from the trees, which seemed to be the only freshwater source in the arena.

As day passed into night, the Panem anthem played and the faces of the dead appeared in the sky. The male from 5. The male morphling from 6. Woof and Cecelia from 8. Both from 9. The woman from 10, and Seeder from 11.

Finnick and Mags seemed saddened by the deaths, as they must have known many of the victors. Peeta and Katniss pined for a few they had gotten to know during training. The quartet finally settled down to sleep. Mags and Peeta konked out, but Katniss and Finnick were fitful. Suddenly, 12 bongs chimed. A few hours later, they were disturbed by a mysterious fog…


	2. Day 2

**Day 2**

Katniss sat panting on a spoke of sand, staring into the night around her. She had barely gotten any sleep since the Games started.

The fog that had approached them had turned out to be poisonous and left the tributes with muscle spasms. Katniss and her allies had managed to outrun it and return to the beach.

It was not even morning yet, and already there had been more deaths. Katniss had heard a cannon go off while she had been trying to go to sleep, and then… Mags had sacrificed herself by running into the fog so Finnick could carry Peeta. Then, when the damn monkeys had attacked, the female morphling from 6 had come out of nowhere and taken one of the beast's bites for Peeta.

The surviving tributes had managed to heal their muscles in the warm salt water and were now waiting in the dark for daylight, trying not to make any noise. Katniss feared that they might alert the Careers of their presence. It was likely the Careers had taken over the Cornucopia after the bloodbath.

After what seemed like ages, the sky grayed and was soon followed by the sun. Katniss looked over at the Cornucopia in the distance. It stood eerily empty. Where were the Careers? She shook Peeta and Finnick awake, and both were disappointed that she had stayed up all night on self-appointed guard duty.

Finnick soon pointed to something in the distance. "Look."

Three red figures were stumbling down the spoke of sand a few up from them. Katniss, Finnick and Peeta silently melted into the trees to observe their new adversaries. It took only a moment though for Finnick to recognize them, for he visibly relaxed.

"Johanna!" he called.

"Finnick!" came the reply. Finnick approached them, Katniss and Peeta following behind reluctantly.

Johanna Mason, the only female victor from District 7, had won just a few years before the Star-Crossed Lovers of District 12. The 71st Games, if Katniss' memory served her correctly. The ax-wielding victor recounted her own sad tale. She and her district partner, Blight, had managed to rescue the District 3 victors, Beetee and Wiress, from the bloodbath. But not before Beetee was knifed in the back by Enobaria. They had searched for high ground also and settled in for the night. In the middle of it, a torrent of rain that felt like blood had coated them. Blight had panicked and, like Peeta, had run right into the force field by accident. Only this time, no one could help him.

 _Well, that explains the cannon I heard this morning,_ Katniss thought. But her thoughts were interrupted when Johanna shoved Wiress to the ground.

"Lay off her," Katniss snapped. Johanna turned to her.

"Lay off her?" she repeated, then slapped Katniss so hard she saw stars. "Who got them out of that bleeding jungle for you? You-" But she was interrupted when Finnick picked her up, bridal style, and marched over to the water, where he proceeded to dunk her like a washerwoman doing laundry. Johanna could be heard hurling insults at Katniss even as she spluttered and gargled in fury, but eventually she calmed down. Neither she nor Katniss was happy when Finnick suggested merging their two trios together, but agreed out of necessity. Just then, a tidal wave rolled out of the jungle across from them and a high-pitched scream could be heard, followed by a cannon. Katniss guessed it was the female victor from District 5. Katniss' mega-alliance now had the Careers to contend with and maybe one or two lone wolves.

With Wiress' help, the others were able to figure out the arena was a clock, with a new danger happening every hour in a circular fashion. Wiress went to clean a spool of wire that Beetee had plucked, at great risk to himself, from the Cornucopia. The others took to mending Beetee's knife wound. Both Beetee and Wiress had to be in their 50's or 60's, though Katniss wasn't sure which Games each had won.

It didn't take long for the Careers to show. They rushed the mega alliance in a bold surprise attack. Wiress was killed and Finnick was wounded. Katniss responded in kind by offing Gloss, while Johanna killed his sister, Cashmere. Brutus and Enobaria made a hasty retreat while Katniss and the others gave chase.

Suddenly, the world began to spin very, very fast. Everyone was knocked down into the sand and clung on for dear life. When everything came crashing to a halt, the sectors of the arena had changed places. This was surely the work of the Gamemakers. Beetee was retrieved from the water, as well as his wire, which was still with Wiress. Choppers removed the dead.

The rest of the day was spent gathering supplies and food, swimming and receiving gifts from sponsors. It was mostly bread, but that was welcome in this environment. Early in the evening, around 6:00, another cannon sounded and a chopper picked up a body ripped apart. When the sun set an hour or so later, the faces of the dead appeared in the sky. Gloss and Cashmere. Wiress. Mags. The female from 5. The female morphling from 6. Blight. The man from 10.

Eight dead tonight. Plus eight from the first night. 2/3's of the arena had been wiped out in less than a day and a half. That had to be a record, Katniss thought.

"They're really burning through us," Johanna mused, voicing Katniss' thoughts.

"Who's left? Besides us five and District 2?" Katniss asked.

"Chaff," Peeta answered automatically. The male victor from District 11 had won the 45th Games and lost a hand in the process. He was known to be a drunk and one of Haymitch's particular friends.

The quintet prepared for the night. Katniss and Peeta took guard duty, despite their formidable position, having taken control of the Cornucopia and halfed the Career alliance. Peeta told Katniss how he was going to do everything in his power to help her win, and that he couldn't live without her if he won. He gave her a locket carrying her loved one's pictures inside, Gale among them but his own noticeably absent. Touched, Katniss kissed him hungrily. They were interrupted by a flash of lightning, which ended up waking Finnick. He and Katniss changed places. A few hours later, Johanna approached.

"My turn," she said simply.

"Go to bed, Peeta. Your wife needs you," said Finnick. Peeta went into the Cornucopia to sleep. Not long after that, Beetee joined the guards.

"What're you doing up, old man?" asked Finnick.

"Yeah, Volts, what gives?" echoed Johanna.

"I need to talk to both of you. Now, while Romeo and Juliet are asleep. I thought the boy was never gonna doze off." He motioned for them to follow him up a slope slightly, where they arrived at a strip of force field with a chink on it. They could still see the Cornucopia from here.

Beetee moved Finnick and Johanna so that they were all huddled in front of the chink, which turned out to be a mechanism that shielded them from the Capitol's cameras and microphones so they would not be overheard.

"We have a problem," Beetee said. "I spent today examining the wire. Guess what? It might be faulty. I don't know if it can do the job, but I want to confirm." He turned to the District 4 victor. "Finnick, I think tomorrow if the lightning tree's still there, you and I and maybe Johanna might go up there and scout it out to see if the plan is salvageable."

"What about Katniss and Peeta? We can't leave them alone," said Finnick.

"Fine. We'll all go."

"And how do you expect them to go along with that?" asked Johanna snidely.

"I'll give them the cover story," replied Beetee.

"Which is?" she prodded.

"That the wire and lightning tree are being used in a coordinated plan to kill Brutus and Enobaria by electrocution."

"And if the wire really is faulty? What do we do then?" asked Finnick.

"We have no other choice but to sacrifice ourselves and take the rest of the field with us for her," Beetee said solemnly.

There was a long silence. "What about the boy?" Johanna continued.

"He'll give himself up for her. He loves her to death. They were practically ripping each other's clothes off when I got up for guard duty." Finnick explained.

Johanna made a face. "I don't even know why I signed up for this," she snarled.

"Johanna, I'm asking you to do this for the rebels. For Panem." Beetee said.

Another silence. "Alright! But don't make me do anything embarrassing," Johanna conceded.

The trio returned to the Cornucopia to find Peeta and Katniss as they had left them. While Beetee took guard duty, Finnick and Johanna went to sleep.


	3. Day 3

**Day 3**

Beetee woke everyone up very early the next morning. The sky was grey, but the sun had not yet risen.

"I want to examine the lightning tree. I'll explain the details on the way," he told the group. Finnick and Johanna did not let on their foreknowledge of the scheme.

After eating a breakfast of roll and fish, the mega alliance began the long trek up the slope to the lightning tree. Johanna led the way, hacking at the foliage with her axe. She was followed by Finnick, who carried Beetee piggyback and had Peeta guarding them, while Katniss brought up the rear. As they walked, Beetee explained the "plan." Peeta thought the idea was ingenious and Katniss admired its finesse. Thanks to the early start, the time was roughly 9:00 a.m. when they reached the lightning tree. Beetee set to work right away on examining it while Finnick stood guard. Katniss hunted a short distance away while Peeta and Johanna gathered nuts and berries.

After a time, Finnick bent over and whispered in the older man's ear, "Is it gonna work?" Beetee turned back to him and slowly shook his head. Finnick slowly exhaled, then rounded the others up. "Come on, troops, back to the beach. The plan's kaput."

"What? Why?" asked Peeta.

"My wire's not strong enough, Peeta," Beetee told him. "We're going to have to find another way to kill the Careers." The five trudged back down the slope. As they reached the edge of the jungle trees, Finnick suddenly shoved everyone back into the foliage.

"Get down," he hissed. He peeked through the leaves and turned back to them. "It's Brutus and Enobaria. They've taken over the island."

Johanna swore and threw her axe down in frustration. "Well, this whole morning was a complete waste of valuable time!"

"Wait to go, Beetee," snarled Katniss.

"That's enough, ladies!" Finnick snapped. "Nobody's at fault here. We all agreed to go."

"Yeah, but now we're stuck here in the jungle with each other and god-knows-what else-" Johanna began.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Peeta interrupted. "We can attack right now! We outnumber the Careers 5 to 2."

"4 to 2, actually. I'm not worth much these days," Beetee said.

Finnick gave him a long look. "You're worth far more than you realize," he said seriously. The comment was probably meant to cheer Beetee up after Katniss and Johanna's bashing.

"Well, in any event, we're not tangling with the Careers for now," said Katniss. "Unless the Gamemakers schedule a feast."

"That's it!" Peeta crowed. He was interrupted by a plasmic roar as the lightning struck the tree in the distance, signaling high noon.

"What is?" asked the others in unison.

"We ask the Gamemakers for a feast," said Peeta simply.

"Ask them for a- are you joking?" asked Johanna. Peeta shook his head. Before, he could explain his reasoning though, Claudius Templesmith's voice reverberated throughout the arena.

"ATTENTION, TRIBUTES, ATTENTION! THERE WILL BE A FEAST AT SUNDOWN, ROUGHLY 7:00, AT THE CORNUCOPIA. YOU MUST BE RUNNING LOW ON WEAPONS AND WE PLAN TO BE…GENEROUS HOSTS."

Beetee just looked up at the sky. "Well, that was fast," he said simply.

"Nice going, Lover Boy," snarled Johanna.

"Johanna, think about it. At the rate we've been going, a victor would have been crowned by nightfall today anyway. Besides, these Games are so unpopular, I'm sure the Gamemakers want to end this, and fast."

"Wait, we've forgotten somebody," said Katniss. "Chaff's out there by himself, do you think he'll attend?"

"Who knows?" said Finnick. "District 11 tributes have always been known to go off by themselves and wait for the pool to thin. But even if he doesn't show, whoever's left after this can go hunt him down in the jungle to their heart's content." He looked up at the sun. "We've got roughly seven hours before we have to throw it down with the Careers. Sleep, get some target practice, do what you gotta do to prepare to meet your maker." This everyone did.

* * *

The sun was beginning to sink in the sky. The mega alliance observed the Careers through the trees. At what must have been 7:00, a table slowly rose out of the sand. Finnick held up a hand.

"Wait. Let's see what they do. Maybe one will turn on the other and then we move in and overwhelm the survivor." When Brutus and Enobaria didn't move, he sighed. "They're waiting for us. This is it, then." He turned back to the others. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a pleasure gaming with you. If you have any last words, say them now."

Peeta turned and took Katniss' hand. "No matter what happens, I'll always love you. Take care of our child and have a good life." He kissed her passionately, and Katniss melted against him.

"Uggh, get a room, a cave, something," groaned Johanna.

"They got a cave. Last year and it worked okay-"

"Shut up, Beetee!"

Peeta and Katniss broke apart. "I love you," Katniss told him. She turned to Finnick. "You with us?"

Finnick nodded. "To the death."

The quintet stood shoulder to shoulder. Finnick counted down from three to one on his fingers. Then, without breaking formation, they marched out of the trees. It didn't take long for the Careers to notice them.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Island of Misfit Toys," chuckled Brutus, his deep bass making him sound a lot stupider than he actually was. "Didn't think we'd have anyone to play with."

"And how are y'all doing this fine evening?" asked Peeta casually.

"Well enough, Lover Boy," spat Enobaria. "Yourself?" Everyone just shrugged. The seven stood facing each other, sizing their bands up. Enobaria scanned from face to face while delicately fingering her knife, trying to decide whom to kill first. "We'll start with the biggest booty," she said, glancing at Finnick. Finnick tensed, ready to defend. Then, suddenly, Enobaria faked everyone out and chucked her knife into Katniss' leg. Katniss doubled over and Enobaria tackled her, knocking the bow aside. She retreated back, another knife at Katniss' throat. The allies may have been slow to react, but they were now armed to the teeth: Peeta with some knives, Finnick with his trident, Johanna with her axe, and Beetee had whipped out what looked like a cattle-prod tazer.

"Let her go!" Peeta snarled, rushing forward, but Finnick intercepted him.

"Make another move, and she dies!" Enobaria shrieked.

"She dies, you die…slowly" Johanna shot back flatly.

"You'd dare to kill an innocent child?" asked Beetee incredulously.

Enobaria cackled. "Innocent child? Pregnant, my ass! Lover Boy couldn't bang her to save his life!"

"Actually, I have," Peeta said. "We did it again last night in the Cornucopia and it was _good_." Katniss flushed but Enobaria ignored them. "What say you, Girl on Fire?" she asked her prisoner. "Wanna blow Hubby one last kiss?" Katniss did not respond. She was secretly glad things were ending this way, but she had wanted to survive a little longer to better ensure Peeta's victory. Oh, well. What happened happened.

She called to Peeta, "I love you, honey!" She added the last part to keep up the marriage act. Peeta returned it, tears running down his face. Enobaria readied her knife for the kill.

"STOP!" yelled a voice. Everyone whipped around to see a figure running up the beach toward them.

"Oh, what it is now?" asked Brutus, clearly frustrated at the delay in bloodshed. Chaff soon came into view, panting.

"You weren't gonna start with out me, were you?" he asked. Brutus suddenly seemed to brighten.

"Just the man I wanted to see. We need your help here dealing with these bozos, Chaff," he told the darker man. Nobody knew why Brutus was asking for an alliance at this stage in the Games. But it had the potential to tip the scale.

"No, Chaff!" Finnick called. "We need you! You're really gonna help them win? They don't deserve it! Remember what Haymitch said!"

"If you help us, we'll let you have dibs on any one of them," Brutus offered.

"Yeah, and he'll just kill you later!" Finnick shouted. "Chaff, help us, otherwise…you disgrace Haymitch. You disgrace Panem!"

There was a long tense moment as Chaff struggled. Finally, his expression hardened and he turned to Enobaria. "Let the girl go," he growled at her. She gave a laugh, but there was a hint of nervousness in it.

"And why would you want me to do that? Don't you see? She's the whole reason we're in this mess! Why shouldn't I kill her?"

Chaff slowly walked toward the District 2 victor and her prisoner. "Perhaps you didn't hear me. So, I'll say it again. Let the girl go, or deal with me." He unsheathed a large scythe and started tapping it against the stump where his left hand should have been. Brutus just stood there, stunned that Chaff had dared to spurn him. No one else moved. When Chaff was about halfway to Enobaria and Katniss, Brutus finally came to his senses.

"You made the wrong choice," he muttered, before he tackled Chaff from behind. Enobaria instinctively relaxed from the release of tension and Katniss seized her chance. She elbowed Enobaria hard in the face. There was a distinct crack as Enobaria's nose broke, followed quickly by another as Brutus overpowered Chaff in the sand and snapped his neck like a twig. Katniss ran for her bow as Brutus turned and lunged towards her. He was so focused on her, that he didn't notice Peeta break free from Finnick and lunge at _him_.

"NOO!" screamed Peeta as he collided with Brutus. The two crashed to the sand and started wrestling with each other. Now, remember, Peeta was a world-class wrestler in school, coming in second only to his brother in competition. By the time Katniss had reached her bow to let fly at Brutus, Peeta had pinned the large man to the ground and snapped _his_ neck.

Two cannons sounded. Enobaria, who had been knocked flat on her back into shallow water, sat up shakily, blood spurting from her nose. She stared when she saw the results of that burst of violence. Her eyes fell to Peeta, dumbstruck that he had beaten her district partner.

"I'm going to bash in your skull, Lover Boy!" she screeched and made toward him. Beetee, Finnick and Johanna finally came out of their trance and leapt in her way.

"You're going to have to get through us first," snapped Johanna.

Finnick waggled an eyebrow at the remaining Career. "Your move."

Enobaria paused. Even she couldn't take on Finnick Odair _and_ Johanna Mason. But she could try and off the annoying little man with the tazer first and work her way up from there.

She threw two knifes in rapid succession, one higher than the other. Beetee ducked the first, but the second found its mark, sinking into his lower leg. He fell back in agony as Enobaria leapt back to avoid a swipe from Johanna's ax. She continued her retreat as she pulled a broad sword from a sheath behind her back. Finnick and Johanna leapt after her into shallow water, where the three victors began to duel it out.

Seeing that Enobaria was occupied for now, Katniss rushed past Beetee to Peeta. She felt bad about not stopping to help the former, but at this point, he had to die if Peeta was to win. She helped Peeta to his feet.

"I'm so proud of you, Peeta!" she told him. The pair ran for the Cornucopia, and began to climb it, just as they had done while Cato was chasing them the year before. The monument was tall and hard to scale, but they managed to reach the top.

"They'll tire eventually and someone else will be killed. What do we do?" asked Katniss. Peeta thought for a moment, then grabbed Katniss and kissed her roughly. Katniss was surprised, but returned it, as it may be the last time she got to hold him. The pair fell back onto the Cornucopia, girl underneath boy. Of all the things she had imagined for her last moments, Katniss had not entertained the prospect of Peeta Mellark making love to her on the Cornucopia, instead of in it as he had (falsely) claimed.

She was so engrossed in the kissing that she didn't feel the pain until a few seconds after the motion. Peeta had distracted her so he could yank out the knife still buried in her leg. He pulled away.

"I'm going to go help them out, sweetheart," he told her. He gave her another kiss before she could respond and slid down the horn's face.

"Peeta, no! What are you doing?" but he was already gone.

Meanwhile, Enobaria had managed to hold her own against Johanna and Finnick. Yet, all three were winded. Enobaria knew she would be overpowered eventually, so she decided on a new approach. As she lunged at Johanna again, she kicked up some water with her foot, sending it into Finnick's face. In that instant, Enobaria doubled back and struck Finnick through. Finnick crashed into the water, blood from his fatal stomach wound staining it. Enraged, Johanna sent an ax through Enobaria's foot pinning her to the ground. Enobaria pivoted as Johanna moved to pull out another axe and slashed her neck. Two more cannons sounded, signaling the deaths. Peeta had stopped dead in his tracks at the sight.

Enobaria was doubled over, panting, and a wicked grin crossed her face.

"You're next, Girl on Fire!" With great effort, she pulled the ax out of her foot and limped over towards the Cornucopia.

"Over my dead body!" hollered Peeta. Enobaria whirled to him.

"Alright, I'm flexible," she purred. Peeta threw her knife at her. She dodged, and lunged for him. He leapt away and ran for the pile of weapons on the table, which had laid dormant all this time. He seized a spear and chucked it, and this time it hit Enobaria's wrist. The force of the blow knocked the sword out of her hand. Peeta grabbed it and the two sparred, axe on blade. Enobaria did not even bother to pull the spear out of her wrist, instead using its shaft as a weapon, which Peeta had to avoid getting hit with.

Katniss rained down arrows wherever Enobaria stood, but the combatants' movements were so quick that all of them missed. Finally, Peeta got hit in the face with the spear shaft and fell backward into the sand. The sword flew out of his hand and out of sight. Enobaria stood over him, ready to deliver his deathblow.

"NO!" Katniss cried. She couldn't believe it. She had run out of arrows; she had failed to crown Peeta victor. Peeta turned his head and looked up at her.

"Katniss," he breathed.

"No! Enobaria, don't-"

As Enobaria brought the ax down, Peeta grabbed its hilt with his one hand and the shaft of the spear in the other. Using all his strength he pushed Enobaria off him, but kept his grip on the spear, so that it twisted out of her wrist. Enobaria flew back, the ax spinning off and away into the water. Peeta was on her in an instant, the spear's tip at her throat.

"Let me go!" Enobaria begged like a small child. "Please don't hurt me! I'll do anything! Anything!"

Peeta paused. He knew he had to kill Enobaria if he wanted Katniss to win, but suddenly, he felt tired of killing. So instead, he growled. "Die slowly," and stabbed Enobaria in her left breast. That should do the trick. She would die of blood loss.

"Peeta!" called Katniss.

He whirled at her voice. "Katniss," he panted in relief. Leaving Enobaria, he went over to the Cornucopia and began to climb. Katniss reached out her hand. Peeta heaved himself up and took it. When they were level with each other, Peeta's other hand found her cheek. "We did it," he managed. Katniss smiled and leaned into his touch, enveloping in its warmth. Slowly, Peeta leaned forward to kiss her.

Then, he suddenly cried out in pain. Even with an injured foot and hand, Enobaria had managed to climb up behind Peeta and stab him in the back. She yanked the knife out to finish him off, when suddenly she felt herself yanked back hard and electricity run up her skin.

Everyone had completely forgotten about Beetee, who had snuck up himself on Enobaria and grabbed her and was now tazing her for all he was worth. The commotion caused both of them and Peeta to lose their balance. Katniss grabbed onto Peeta's wrists and held fast.

"AHHHHHH!" screamed Enobaria as she and Beetee plunged into the water far below. There was tremendous splash, followed by a brilliant burst of electricity as Beetee's tazer met liquid. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then finally, a body floated up to the surface. Enobaria was dead. Another form broke the sea a few minutes later as an exhausted Beetee dragged himself onto the beach. He had been slightly electrocuted himself and Enobaria's one knife was still in his leg. He collapsed onto the sand and waited for death to take him.

Katniss pulled Peeta onto the Cornucopia. She gently laid him on the cold metal and cradled his head in her lap. His breathing was shallow. The cannon sounded a little late to signal Enobaria's death.

"Katniss," Peeta wheezed. "We…we did it."

"We sure did. Oh god, this is all my fault. I should have never let you go down there."

"It's better this way," Peeta told her. He flashed her a smile. "Hey, I gave it my best shot. 3rd place is pretty good, right?"

Katniss didn't know whether to laugh or slap him, so instead she just cried. She lay down next to him and stared up at the dusk above her. Her eyes scanned, looking for something, anything to kill herself with so Peeta had a chance to live. But there was only her empty bow. In desperation, she decided that strangling herself with the bowstring would do nicely, so she seized it and made to tighten it around her neck.

"I love you, Peeta," she told him, and she meant it this time. Peeta's eyes narrowed and he reached up and grabbed her hand. She relaxed slightly at his touch.

"No, don't you say that. Don't you dare say your goodbyes!" he said with conviction. "It's alright, Katniss. You're gonna get out of here. You're gonna go on. And you're gonna have our baby and you're gonna watch it grow. And you're gonna see your mom and Prim again, you understand me?" He shook now, as he grew weaker from his wound. "You're gonna die an old lady, warm in her bed. Not here. Not this night. I won't let that happen, you understand me?" He smiled weakly. "Getting my name pulled at the reaping last year was the best thing that ever happened to me. It brought me to you. And I'm thankful for that, Katniss. I'm thankful." He kissed her hand. "You must do me this honor. Promise me that you won't give up, now matter how hopeless!"

"I promise," Katniss vowed shakily. Peeta leaned back and sighed. Katniss resumed bawling. "Don't leave me, Peeta, please! Please! I love you." But knowing it could not be helped, she leaned in and gave him the tenderest kiss she could muster. Peeta kissed her back until he slowly drew away and lay still. The cannon sounded to confirm Peeta's passing. Katniss threw back her head and screamed in anguish.

Far below, Beetee still lay lingering on the sand, holding on. He heard these sounds and knew he had reached the top two with Katniss. He looked up at the sky, certain a camera would be zoning in on him. Slowly, he lifted his hand and raised his middle finger.

"Fuck you," he growled.

In the Gamemaker Center, President Snow could sense something was happening. "Stop him!" he screamed at Plutarch Heavensbee, refusing to have his plan to ensure Katniss' destruction blow up in his face.

But it was too late. In one swift motion, Beetee pulled Enobaria's knife from his leg and stabbed himself right in the heart. He died almost instantly, and the final cannon boomed.

Claudius Templesmith came on the intercom, and in the background roars and cheers could be heard. "Ladies and gentlemen," he cried in almost desperation. "May I present the victor of the 75th annual Hunger Games: Katniss Everdeen!" A chopper picked up Katniss and the remaining bodies and carted them away.


	4. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Katniss was certain she would be punished. If not by the death that she had evaded for the past three days, then by some other means.

She was surprised when she found Haymitch and Plutarch waiting for her.

"The Capitol went ape after you won. Some tried to attack the Peacekeepers. The city's in all-out war," Plutarch told her.

"Way to go, sweetheart," Haymitch managed, though it was clear he had been crying, mourning Peeta's death.

What followed was a dizzying explanation: Plutarch was actually part of a shadow resistance movement to overthrow the Capitol, which had been brewing in secret for years. Their chopper was now headed to District 13. At least 14 of the victors had been part of an alliance hell-bent on keeping Katniss and Peeta alive. The plan to electrocute Brutus and Enobaria had actually been a ploy to cover the real plan, which was to destroy the force field surrounding the arena. It would have worked if it had not been for the damaged wire.

"I should have been more careful with it," Plutarch admitted, for it was he who had smuggled it into the Cornucopia for Beetee to find. "A lot less people would have died."

Enraged at the secrets that had been kept from her and the realization that Peeta's death could have been averted, Katniss lashed out at Haymitch and Plutarch. She was dragged into a hospital bed by doctors and sedated.

When she awoke, a doctor talked with her and delivered more shocking news: Katniss really _was_ pregnant with Peeta's child.

"But how…?" Katniss asked.

Then she remembered. The night before the Quell, she and Peeta had slept in the same bed. Emotions had run high, and Katniss had felt she owed it to Peeta to give him something after all he'd done for her. So, she gave him her body. The two had made passionate, desperate love, crying, gasping, moaning, trying to take solace in each other to ease their pain.

And now, a child had been conceived.

Katniss wept, for she knew that Peeta had left her something in his absence to remember him by. Yes, she would carry the baby to term and raise it. She would do that to honor her fallen love.

* * *

The next year was spent in all out rebellion against the Capitol. Katniss became the Mockingjay, the face of the rebellion. She filmed promos that competed with Capitol programming for airtime and was dispatched into troublesome spots in the districts to battle. A few months into her pregnancy, she was recalled from active duty on one of the most bizzare maternity leaves ever seen. She now solely filmed promos. She told of the baby and would pat the bump on her abdomen. She would talk about Peeta and how much she missed him.

The following March, Katniss gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. One look at his blond curls and blue eyes and she knew exactly what to call him.

"Peeta Mellark, Jr., Peeta Mellark Jr., Peeta Mellark Jr." she cooed over and over to the crying infant.

That summer, the districts had all been taken over and the Capitol was invaded. President Snow was captured and Katniss was brought out of maternity leave to personally execute him. However, she shot President Coin instead when she realized the Hunger Games would continue with Capitol children. A riot followed, which killed Snow. Katniss was placed under virtual house arrest in her old Training Center room. Finally, she was acquitted during trial and Haymitch came to fetch her and the baby.

"Come on, we're going home," he told her. Mentor, mother and child were hustled onto a chopper to take them back to District 12. They were joined by Plutarch and Annie Cresta, Finnick Odair's secret lover and victor of the 70th Hunger Games. She had been reaped for the Quell before Mags volunteered in her place. She too had given birth to a baby, a daughter, whom she named Baleen. She, Katniss and Haymitch were the only victors alive after those who had not been killed in the Quell were hunted down and murdered by the Capitol. When Annie was dropped off, she promised she would visit so Baleen and Peeta Jr. could play together.

Not many were returning to District 12. Katniss' mother was among them, who was too tormented by the death of Prim. Gale, Katniss' hunting partner and potential love interest before Peeta had come along, was suspected of manufacturing the bombs that killed Prim. He and Katniss had had a falling out and he was now living in District 2.

* * *

A few years later, Katniss watched as her 5-year-old son played in the meadow behind their house in the Victor's Village. The country was slowly starting to rebuild and many residents had returned to their homes. The population of District 12 was at roughly 600. Katniss and Haymitch still felt isolated from the rest of their community. Entertainers in the district square and the Hob would dazzle the children with watered-down versions of the times before the Second Rebellion. "Up there, high, high on the hill in the Victor's Village live Katniss Everdeen and Haymitch Abernathy." They would say. "They competed and won the Hunger Games, Katniss twice over."

Katniss tried not to let the whisperings bother her. She hunted by day while Haymitch, or "Grandpa" as he was called by Peeta Jr., raised geese and kept his eye on the boy. Yet, he was still as addicted to the drink as ever, though he never did drink in front of his surrogate grandson. When he once asked, in a stupor, if Katniss was ever going to marry, she had shot an arrow wide in his direction, missing intentionally, and vowed "There will never be anyone else like Peeta." By night, the tiny family would dine together. Katniss would prepare her son for bed, sing to him and then tell him stories about his father. They were always happy ones, for she swore she would never tell him about the Hunger Games until he was older. This she did successfully until one night when she had finished telling him the story of how Peeta had tossed her bread for the hundredth time.

"Mama?"

"Yes, baby?"

"What happened to Daddy?"

Katniss sighed. "He died, honey. A long time ago, before you were born."

"Is he in heaven with Auntie Prim?" Katniss nodded. "I know he's here, too."

"Then, if you believe it, he's here." Katniss whispered, smiling down at him. She got up and went to the door, pausing in the frame. "I love you."

"I love you, too." The small voice answered back.

At least once a month, Annie and Baleen would come stay for the weekend and the two children would play together. Even at such a young age, Katniss could recognize the start of a beautiful friendship… and perhaps something more. She and Annie laughed when Grandpa Haymitch was made to give the children rides on his back, like a horse. When the kids were asleep, the trio would stay up and talk of old times, touching upon the arena briefly when they felt they were strong enough.

Then, one day, everything changed. It was an ordinary morning when the doorbell of Katniss' house rang. Katniss was surprised when she opened the door to find Gale standing on the porch. She instantly stiffened.

"What do you want?" she snarled.

"I came to apologize," Gale said simply. "I looked into the bombs and it turns out you were right. They were ours and they did kill Prim. I know it may not seem like enough, but I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry." He stepped inside and inspected the house. "You doing well for yourself?" Katniss nodded. Gale turned back to her and suddenly knelt before her.

"Katniss, I know we have had our differences, but I feel that, in time, they'll have only made our relationship stronger. I want to help you get through the rest of your life. So, will you marry me?"

Katniss stared at him. She was grateful for the apology, but this was taking it a little too far.

"Gale, thank you, but no," she said flatly, walking past him.

"What, why?" asked Gale, following her. Katniss turned back to him.

"I told myself that I would and could never love again. Besides, my life circumstances would make a marriage more difficult." She turned and called. "Peeta! Come here, sweetie!" Her son came running through the door from the back porch and into her arms. Katniss scooped him up and looked back to Gale.

"Gale, this is my son," she told him.

Upon seeing the boy, Gale's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "He's… he's him," he stammered, and the " _him_ " had an air of malice in it. "When the hell did this happen?"

"During the rebellion," Katniss explained. Gale had been working undercover in the Capitol while she was in District 13. "Oh come on, you must have seen the propos videos."

"No, I didn't," Gale said. "I was underground. There aren't exactly TVs underground, Katniss!"

"Ok, well, the point is, I live for my son now," Katniss said. She gave the boy a loving smile and cuddled him close to her. "He's my only joy in a life full of pain and hardship. He's my new love."

"No, he's my enemy!" Gale suddenly screamed; it looked like he was about to have a hissy fit. "He's the reason you turn from me! We should just forget that he was born to you and that asshole!" He reached for Peeta Jr. Katniss twisted away, her eyes widening. If she had doubted her refusal to Gale's proposal, it was gone now. She definitely did not want anything to do with him. Gale advanced as Katniss backed away. Katniss quickly set her son down.

"Peeta, run!" she cried. Peeta Jr. could recognize that something was wrong and her ran out through the back door and onto the porch. Katniss tried to follow but Gale blocked, backing her into her bedroom and locking the door behind them.

Katniss had taught her son who to go to in case of an emergency. He ran for Haymitch's house next door screaming "Grandpa! Grandpa!" Haymitch had just been about to pop his first beer of the day when his grandson burst into his house.

"What it is, boy?" asked Haymitch. Peeta Jr. pointed back and whimpered, "A bad man's hurting Mama!"

Haymitch's arena instincts took over. He grabbed an empty beer bottle in one hand and his trusty knife in the other and ran out the door, Peeta Jr. following close behind. Haymitch burst through the front door and charged up the stairs to Katniss' bedroom. The door was locked. When picking the lock with the knife didn't work, Haymitch threw his body into the door again and again, calling for Peeta Jr. to stand back.

Meanwhile, Katniss was throwing everything into Gale's path as they circled the bedroom. Gale had stripped down to his boxers to have sex with her, or, to be more accurate, rape her. He tossed aside her barricade objects and finally pinned her to the bed, ignoring the pounding on the door and the distant wails of the kid. Katniss struggled, but Gale was too strong and removed her pants with ease.

"If you won't have me, I'll just take you," he threatened. Just as he was about to whip off their underwear, there was a resounding crash as Haymitch finally succeeded in breaking down the door, throwing it off its hinges. Gale looked up just in time to have a beer bottle shatter against his face. Shards and blood blinded him as Haymitch lunged and tackled Gale. The two men violently rolled off the bed, Gale hitting his head on the nightstand on the way down, and began to wrestle on the floor. Katniss pulled her pants back on and rushed to embrace her little boy. They watched in fear as Haymitch overpowered Gale and set the knife at his throat. Gale's eyes widened, but Haymitch did not proceed. After a long tense moment, he got up off of Gale and stood. Gale remained on the floor.

"Son, stand up," Haymitch said, an eerie calm to his voice. Of course, Gale couldn't; he was too paralyzed with fear. "If you can't stand up, I'll help you," Haymitch continued and helped Gale to his feet. He then placed both hands on his shoulders. "Hear me," the old man said. "Never… ever… touch my family again."

Gale said nothing. Instead, he squirmed away from Haymitch, wiped the blood and glass shards from his face, and pushed past Katniss and Peeta Jr. and out of sight. He never came back.

Katniss picked up Peeta Jr. and carried him into his bedroom. She threw them both onto the bed, sobbing. After a moment, Haymitch joined them, the knife in his back pocket. Katniss jumped up and hugged him.

"You crazy, wonderful old man!" she hiccupped. "Your grandfather sure is crazy, isn't he, Peeta?"

Peeta Jr. laughed. "Yeah, crazier than a bloodhound!" Haymitch just smiled.

* * *

Gale would not be the last surprise visitor to the District 12 Victor's Village. About a month later, another knock was heard at the door. When Katniss opened it, her hand flew to her mouth and her face blanched. She slowly backed away as a friend she thought she might never see again stepped into the house.

"Hello, Katniss," Cinna greeted, as if no time had passed at all.

"You- you- how?" stammered Katniss. "I thought you were dead! The Peacekeepers pummeled you! I saw!"

Cinna smiled sadly. "And they did. They very nearly killed me, but I was thrown into prison with the other stylists. When the rebellion persisted, we were slowly but surely starved to death. We began to die off, one by one, until the Capitol got invaded. Our Peacekeeper guards abandoned the survivors in our cell and we were freed by the rebels." He paused and looked down. "Portia, Peeta's stylist, she didn't make it." After a moment, he unexpectedly removed his shirt.

Katniss gasped. There were scars all over his chest. She reached out a hand then drew back, embarrassed. Cinna just laughed.

"Go ahead, touch," he encouraged. "I don't mind." Katniss placed her hands along the lines and folds of the scars. They reminded her of the ones she herself carried. Her eyes filled with tears, and she flung herself into his arms.

"What did they do to you?" she wept. Cinna held her and tried to calm her.

"I'll tell you in time," he said. He let go, put his shirt back on and straightened. "The real reason I'm here is to tell you that I'm moving here, to District 12. I've been asked to help with fashion in the district. Of course, I also wanted to make sure you were okay."

Katniss smiled. "I am, thank you." She led him into the kitchen as she continued. "The district's been getting back to normal. Haymitch and I are living legends still, and are talked about a lot. We rarely go into town, but we don't mind." She turned back to him, the smile still on her face. "There's something else, too."

As if on cue, footsteps could be heard and someone called, "Hello?"

"In here, Greasy Sae!" answered Katniss. Greasy Sae entered carrying Peeta Jr. She passed the boy to his mother. "Thanks for watching him," Katniss said. "No problem, gotta run, Katniss, bye-bye!" and the older woman was gone.

Katniss cuddled her son and then turned back to Cinna. He was staring at the boy in wonderment. "Peeta, this is my friend, Mr. Cinna. Can you say hello?"

"Hello, Mr. Cinna," Peeta Jr. chirped. Cinna nodded and echoed the greeting. His manners demonstrated, Peeta Jr. turned back to his mother. "Mama, can I go watch some TV, please?"

"Yes, you may, but keep the volume low," and the boy scampered off into the living room and out of sight. Cinna turned to Katniss. "Peeta?" Katniss smiled, not taking her eyes off her son. "Yup, I named him after his Daddy."

"But…how?" asked Cinna, still amazed. "I thought the pregnancy was fake."

"It was until the night before the Quell. Peeta and I…" she blushed. "I didn't find out I was carrying him until after the Games."

Cinna shook his head, an amused smile on his face. "I'll be goddamned," he whispered. Katniss was going on about her life. "-and Greasy Sae helps with Peeta's school tuition…" Cinna snapped back to reality at that. "What do you mean, helps with tuition?"

Katniss shrugged. "Oh, it's not much that she chips in-" but Cinna interrupted her.

"Katniss, how much do you make a year? What's your job?"

Katniss paused then said. "I hunt. People pay a decent price for the meat and sometimes the skins. Haymitch raises geese."

"How much do you make?" Cinna repeated.

Katniss was silent a moment before she said, "About $15,000 a year between Haymitch and me."

Cinna blinked in surprise. "$15,000? Katniss, that's not nearly enough to pay for Peeta's schooling! I'm sure Greasy Sae's contribution is more than just 'not much.'" He leaned against the counter to look into her eyes. "What about your Games winnings? Or Haymitch's winnings? That alone could solve your money problems." Katniss looked down at the floor before she mumbled, "We haven't been getting our winnings."

"Why?" asked Cinna.

"Plutarch came to us and said he could keep giving us our winnings, or discontinue them if we felt we didn't need it." She still refused to look at him. "It was so soon after the rebellion, Haymitch and I figured the monthly checks would just be a reminder of that dark period in our lives and we wanted to move on. So, we allowed him to discontinue the winnings." Then, she began to cry. "I shouldn't have done that. I don't even know if we'd still be living in such a nice house if the rest of the district didn't pity us. Greasy Sae's contributions are helping us pay the bills, but just barely. I'm not as poor as I was as a child, but not as rich as I was between the Games."

Cinna softened. He finally said to himself, "I was right in coming here, then." Katniss looked up. "Katniss, there is more to my coming here than just to start fashion. May I be blunt?"

Katniss wiped away her tears and gave a watery smile. "Be blunt, by all means." Cinna came around the kitchen's island and took her hands in his. "The reason I survived my imprisonment was because of you. I never got to see the propos you apparently filmed, but they say you were extraordinary. You kept the Peacekeepers on edge the whole time and that's how I knew this rebellion wasn't going to fizzle. And I found myself… loving you for that." He brushed away the tears in Katniss' eyes. "I know I can never replace Peeta. Nobody can. And I'm not even going to try. He was too good for this world and will always have a special place in your heart. But, if you let me, I'll take care of you, and the boy. Once my business is up and running, you and little Junior and Haymitch will want for nothing."

Katniss' eyes filled with tears again. Her hands pressed into Cinna's chest. Cinna took her face in his hands and bent towards her. They kissed tentatively. Soon, her arms were around his neck and in his hair, and he had her by the waist. Katniss had thought, after Peeta, she could never love again. She was wrong.

They didn't notice Haymitch enter from the back porch. He stopped and blinked in surprise, then quickly went into the living room, where Peeta Jr. was still watching TV. He jumped up when he saw his grandfather.

"Grandpa, where's Mama?" he asked. Haymitch scooped him up and had the boy nuzzle his face into his chest.

"Your Mama's busy right now, kiddo. Come on, let's go out and play." And he hustled them out the back door. Peeta Jr. did not notice his mother and her "friend" still kissing in the kitchen.

* * *

Cinna and Katniss were married a few months later. It was a beautiful ceremony, but many in the district scratched their heads in puzzlement. They had also believed Katniss would never move on after Peeta, but were also baffled by the age difference between her and her new husband. Katniss was only 22; Cinna had just turned 30.

Nevertheless, Cinna's fashion industry for District 12 boomed. The blended family soon became one of the wealthiest in the district, maybe even in all of Panem. Katniss and Cinna never had any children together, because Cinna's job was so demanding, he felt he did not want to make the painful decision of being away from a family for so long. Having Peeta Jr. was enough.

The boy grew into a fine young man, and people marveled at how much he resembled his legendary father and namesake. Peeta Jr. eventually went on to marry Baleen Odair, his old childhood playmate. Both were told, once they were old enough, of their parents' involvement in the Hunger Games. Peeta Jr. also heard of his Grandpa's and stepfather's roles.

Through it all, Katniss never forgot the boy who had opened her heart and sacrificed himself for her. Some days, she swore she could even sense his presence, as she watched the dandelions dance in the wind. She knew that Peeta would be looking down on her now and their son, smiling. He had watched out for her, to the death…and beyond.


End file.
